Chile Rellenos

Do you love Mexican food as much as I do?  When I was in my 20’s, I spent a few years in Southern California and some of my favourite food memories are from that time.  Back then, I was a starving law student, and the Mexican restaurants and food trucks in San Diego served affordable and delicious food.  Growing up in Canada, I’d never encountered chile rellenos before then, but quickly fell in love with these cheesy battered poblanos. 

We use this recipe as our starting point, although only stuff the peppers with Monterey Jack:  https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/214088/real-chiles-rellenos/. I really like the addition of epazote and vinegar to the tomato sauce, which gives it a much more authentic flavour. 

They are a bit of a hassle to prepare, so we spend an afternoon barbecuing, peeling and stuffing poblanos for the freezer during fall, when the peppers are cheap and plentiful.  When ready to use, take them out of the freezer, batter and shallow fry.  Serve with some “cheat” Spanish rice (saute some diced red pepper with rice for a few minutes, then add broth and a few spoonfuls of homemade salsa, cook as directed), frijoles and homemade fermented hot sauce for an authentic Mexican meal, north of the border.